Jennifer: What’s Not to Love About the Holidays?

Infinitely complex dynamics are created when mixing so many different personalities at one holiday table.

Mix in alcohol and prepare to be entertained. Every year the roles remain the same, but the personalities shift from person to person – grumpy, drunky, sleepy.

No guilt eating. No one scolds you for taking seconds or complains about being too full. Go ahead, look at that pile of potatoes like it’s your old high school crush!

You may feel guilty every other day of the week, but today, calories don’t count.

Oh and be on the lookout for…

Hot butchers. It must be on the application, "Tall, hot and dark-haired men who know how to handle meat and make the girls spend major cash."

Once in Cosentino‘s I asked for short ribs and my request passed through three people in whispering tones until a tall, sandy haired cutie emerged from the back room and offered to handle my request personally. Fifteen minutes later he chased me down with a neatly wrapped package and inquired about my short rib cooking technique. His eyes glazed over as he relayed his own recipe and I simultaneously visualized his dry rub technique.

Butchers have passion and it is just damn sexy.

Leftovers. The only real holiday “thank you” for cooking your heart out is not having to cook for the three following days. Cold turkey.

Holiday buzz. KC is a boring town most days, so I will gladly take the excitement that creates energy throughout the city during a holiday. Even though this excitement can be wrapped up in erratic driving, freaked out shoppers and frazzled salespeople, it’s still a nice change from the normal day to day hum drum.

Bird Scents. The smells that warm your kitchen begin the moment your turkey hits the oven. It’s like no other aroma on any other day. It smells like Thanksgiving, it smells like comfort and home. It smells like childhood and there’s nothing else quite like it.

Fam time. Holidays are a chance to be reminded there are people that love you without condition and will have your back when your days are the darkest. You might complain about your family, but knowing that support system is there every single day of the year is heartwarming…even if they do leave you with the dirty dishes.